Fluid meter



Oct. 14, 1941. C WOODFORD 2,259,052

FLUID METER Filed Dec. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l //V Vf /V 7 0f@ Jose/H C M/ooofoeo,

Oct. 14, 1941. J C. WQODFORD 2,259,052

FLUID METER Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Ha Q QA Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FLUID METER Joseph C. Woodford, Wayne, Pa., assgnor to John Wood Manufacturing Company, Inc., Conshohocken, Pa., a corporation of Delaware i Application December 19, 1939, serial N0. 309,949

(Cl. I4-602) e ment of said eccentric bushing on said crank pin 3 Claims.

My invention may be conveniently utilized in a meter operated by the i'lo'w of liquid in any liquid dispensing apparatus, for instance, in dispensation of lubricating oil or gasoline or other fuel oil. However, the essential features of my invention may be utilized in the construction of a uid meter of theV type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,003,901 granted June 4, 1935, to Parker et al. for Improvement in piston meters.

This invention is an improvement upon that disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 290,534 filed August 17, 1939, wherein Joseph E. Fernly is named as a joint inventor, and relates particularly to the means for 'securing in adjusted position means for varying the throw of a crank, whereby the length of the stroke of a piston may be varied to vary the amount of fluid passed through the piston cylinder during such stroke. In said pending application the means for the same purpose is a nut on a shaft which is continuously rotated during the operation of the meter. Therefore, as said nut is presented outside of the meter casing in order to be accessible for adjustment, it is necessary to provide a cap cover for it which must be removed to effect any desired adjustment for varying the throw of said crank. On the contrary, in accordance with my present invention the means for effecting such adjustment is carried by a normally stationary shaft and includes a lever fixed upon the end of said normally stationary shaft exterior to the meter casing and having an arcuate slot through which extends a cap screw in engagement with the meter casing, whereby the lever and said normally stationary shaft are secured in any desired position of variance of the throw of the crank.

The form of my invention chosen for illustration is embodied in a positive displacement meter,

wherein the crank-shaft is axially aligned with l.

said normally stationary shaft and has rigidly connected therewith an eccentric crank pin;

which pin carries a bushing fitted for rotary ad-I and in its bearing in the piston rod, with the eect of predetermining and maintaining the desired length of stroke of the piston until the same is varied by adjustment of said lever.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction, arrangement, and method of operation hereinafter described.

, In said drawings:A

Fig. I is a partly elevational and partly sectional view of a displacement meter conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. II is an elevation of theV adjusting lever shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a view similar to Fig. I but showing a modied form of my invention wherein, anv

internal gear is substituted, for the external gear xed on the inner en'cl of the normally stationary shaft shown in Fig. I, and the adjusting lever is of simpler form than shown in Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is an inside elevation of the adjusting lever and gearing shown in Fig. III,

Fig. V shows a modified form of abutment for the eccentric bushing.

Referring to the form of my invention show in Figs. I and II; the casing I may be of any convenient form having a uid inlet 2 and outlet 3 for the passage of fluid into and out of the piston chamber 4 in said casing. The crank-shaft 5 is journaled in the bearing 5 in said casing and has the arm Iia carrying the eccentric crank pin 5b. Saidv pin 5b carries the bushing 6 tted for rotary adjustment thereon, which bushing is a sleeve having a cylindrical outer surface 6a eccentric to the axis of said pin 5b. Said, bushing extends through the bearing 'Ia in one end of `the connecting rod l, the opposite end Ib of which is connected with the piston 8 by the pivot 8, so that it may be reciprocated. in said piston chamber 4. Said bushing 6 has at one end thereof, beside said bearing la, the gear 6b which meshes with the gear I-l'Ia which is rigidly connected, conveniently by the pin I-b, with the normally stationary adjusting shaft I0. Said shaft I0 is conveniently in axial alignment with the crank-shaft 5 and journaled in the bearing IEL in the casing I and provided with the packing IBC, through which said shaft I0 extends exterior to the casing I.

The adjusting lever I I is slip-fitted on the outer end of said shaft I0 so that it may turn freely thereon. The key plate I2 includes the key I 2 which, as shown in Fig. II, engages the flattened portion I0 of the shaft I0 to turn the latter. Said lever II has the clamp screws IIEL extending tion of the rotary eccentric sleeve 6 and the parts' are calibrated so that in such intermediate position the mark II registers with the index mark i I on the casing I. The adjusting lever II is made separate from the key plate I2 and the clamp screws IIal provided to permit such calibration. The locking screw I3 which is in screw threaded engagement with the casing I, as shown in Fig. I, extends through the slot I Id in said lever so that the latter may be locked in any desired position of rotary adjustment of the eccentric sleeve 6 by tightening said screw I3.

I nd it convenient to provide the bearing Ia with the abutment disk I4 held thereon by the hub of the gear Ifl, to prevent accidental axial displacement of said bushing 6.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. III and IV, the internal gear I6 is substituted for the gear IIJa shown in Fig. I, and its web I6' serves as an abutment to prevent axial displacement of the eccentric bushing E and its'g'ear Bb shown in Fig. III.

Moreover, the adjustingv lever I'I, in Figs. III and IV, is directly engaged by its key I'I' with the normally stationary adjusting shaft I!! and I is substituted for the packing I0L with the screw threaded gland shown in Fig. I.

When the adjusting lever I'I is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. IV,`the eccentric bushing 6 is in position to afford the maximum length when said lever is adjustedl to the position shown in dash lines in Fig. IV, said eccentric bushing is adjusted to the position aording the minimum length of stroke of rod I and piston 8.

`of stroke of the piston rod 1 and piston 8, but,

Fig. V shows a modified form of labutment for preventing accidental displacement of the eccentric bushing 6, including a washer 5c on the outer end of the crank pin 5b retained by the spring ring 5d seated in a circumferential groove in.

the crank pin. That form of my invention is simpler and therefore less costly than that shown in Fig. I, and permits the operator to see the gears 6b and I0a when assembling them in mesh.

However, I do not desire to limit; myself to the precise details of construction, arrangement, or method of operation herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a positive displacement fluid meter having a casing containing a piston cylinder and a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder; the combination with a crank-shaft having an eccentric pin for effecting reciprocation of said piston; of an eccentric bushing sleeve mounted to be turned on said pin and having a cylindrical outer surface in eccentric relation to the axis of said pin; a piston rod pivotally connected with said piston and with said bushing sleeve; a gear on one end of said bushing sleeve in concentric relation with the axis of said crank pin; a normally stationary shaft, in axial alignment with said crank-shaft, and having a gear rigidly mounted thereon and in mesh with said first gear; means at the outer end of said normally stationary shaft for turning it and thereby varying the eccentricity of the axis of said bushing sleeve with respect to the axis of said crank-shaft, including a key plate operatively engaging the outer end of said normally stationary shaft,` a lever loosely mounted on the latter shaft, and a clamping screw carried by said lever and engaging said plate; and means for securing said lever in adjusted position in rigid relation with said casing.

2. A structure as in claim 1; wherein the lever has an arcuate slot, and the means for securing the lever is a locking screw extending through that slot in engagement with the casing.

3. In a positive displacement fluid meter having a casing containing a piston cylinder and a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder; the combination with a crank-shaft having an eccentric pin for effecting reciprocation of said piston; of an eccentric bushing sleeve mounted to be turned on said pin and having a cylindrical outer surface in eccentric relation to the axis of said pin; a piston rod pivotally connected with said piston and with said bushing sleeve; a gear on one end of said bushing sleeve in concentric relation with the axis of said crank pin; a normally stationary shaft having a gear rigidly mounted-thereon and in mesh with said rst gear; means at the outer end of said normally stationary shaft for turning it and thereby varying the eccentricity of the axis of said bushing sleeve with respect to the axis of said crank-shaft; and means for securing said normally stationary shaft in adjusted position in rigid relation with said casing; including an abutment element in the casing preventing axial displacement of the bushing.

JOSEPH C. WOODFORD. 

